Tool for interiorly shouldering cartridge-shells



(No Model.)

- J. SMITH.

TOOL FOR INTERIORLY SHOULDERING CARTRIDGE SHELLS. No. 358,704.

Patented Mar. 1, 18 87.

WITNEIE UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

J ASON SMITH, OF ROCKLAND, MASSACHUSETTS.

TOOL FOR lNTERlORLY SHOULDERING CARTRIDGE-SHELLS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent 210358.704, dated March 1, 1887. Applicatkn filed June 24, 1886. Serial No. 206,063. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Jason SMITH, of Rockland, in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tools for Interiorly Shoulderin g Cartridge-Shells, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a tool for forming a shoulder or ridge on theinside of acartridgeshell by pressing or forcing the material of which the shell is made from the outside inwardly and radially toward the axis of the shell.

The tool is composed, in substance, of a shell concentrically surrounding a core or mandrel *and a series of spring prick-punches, which are interposed between said core-or mandrel and shell and are severally attached to the mandrel in the form of a truncated cone,with the smallest base lowermost, and the whole arranged for the prick-punches, on a depression of them and the mandrel carrying them, to be forced toward the center or axis of the mandrel, and thereby made to punch the cartridge'shell previously placed thereon, prodncing a series of burrs on the inside of the shell, forming as a whole a ridge or shoulder. In the drawings, Figure 1 is one half side elevation and the other half central vertical section of the improved tool in its normal position, and showing in side elevation acartridge as placed in position to be operated upon by it. The cartridge at its open end is partially broken out, and it and the wad are shown in vertical section. Fig. 2 is a similar view to Fig. 1. This figure shows the cartridge after having been operated upon, or, in other words, interiorly shouldered by ,the tool, and the tool at the end of its work and before its return to its normal position. Figs. 3 and 4 are horizontal sections on line 3 3and 44, respectively, of Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of a cartridge at its outer and open end, showing its interior shoulder or ridge.

In the drawings, A is a cartridge-shell, closed at its fulminate end B, and at its opposite end, 0, closed by a wad, I), placed within it. The cartridge shell A is charged with powder, or other suitable explosive, and shot. (Not shown.) The cartridge-shell A is made of paper or other suitable similar board or metal, or other suitable material, and in every respect, except as to the features of this invention, the cartridge. as a whole is as ordinarily constructed.

a a are a series of burrs at and around the inside of the shell and between the outer face of the wad D and the end 0 of the shell at which the wad is placed. The burrs a a are integral with the shell and project radially inward and toward the axis of the shell, and they are so projected by forcing the material of which the shell is made from the outside of the shell inwardly and toward its center, the whole, in substance, being acartridge having a shoulder or ridge in separate parts, and which parts severally extend around the inside of and are integral with the cartridge-shell, and practically at right angles to its axis. This ridge or shoulder is outside of the wad, closing the open end of the shell, and thus the wad is secured against accidental escape, while at the same time no practical hinderance is caused to its movement under the explosion of the cartridge. The burrs a a of the cartridge-shell may be produced in many ways-as, for instance, by puncturing the shell from the outside with a suitable tool, such as a hand prickpunch-at the same time preferably supporting the shell interiorly against breaking down or being bent as it is so punctured by placing it on a suitable-shaped core or mandrel. A prick-punch or a series of them may be combined in one implement, together with a mandrel to interiorly support the cartridge-shell, and this, in fact, is the tool of this invention and to be now described.

B is a vertical cylindrical core or mandrel secured to a spindle, 0, having a head, D, at one end, and playing loosely through the center of the bottom E of a shell, F, interiorly of a conical shape and supported on a stand or base, G. The mandrel B and shell F are concentric,and the upper end of the mandrel is shaped to receive the open end of the cartridge-shell, as shown.

H H are a series of spring prick-punches arranged at regular distances apart around the mandrel, and between it and the inside of the shell. The prick punches are severally attached to a collar, J, which is secured to the mandrel and spindle, and they are severally extended along the vertical height of the mandrel, and the prick-point K of each, and which is at the upper end of each, points in a direction toward the axis of the core or mandrel. The core or mandrel in line with each prickpoint has a recess, L, to receive said point and the burrs of the cartridge-shell thrown out by it in the operation of the tool. W

A forcing of the mandrel and its prickpunches downward into the shell secures the movement of the prick-punches inward and toward the axis of the mandrel by the operation of the shell against the outer edges of the prick-punches, and in the return or upward movement of the mandrel the prick-punches from their reaction, being made springy or elastic, return automatically to their normal position, at the same ti me acting automatically to similarly return the mandrel.

The forward forcing of the prick-punches secures, with the cartridgeshell placed on the upper end of the maudrel,the punching thereof at points corresponding with the prickpunches, and thus aforcing inward of the ma terial of which the shell is made and the production of a series of burrs on the inside of the cartridge-shell, the whole making a shoulder or ridge, and which, situated inside of the wad of the cartridge, guards and protects the wad against accidental escape from the shell.

More or less prick-punches may be used, and a screw-cap screwed upon the upper open end of the shell may be used asa means to force the punches inward, and other obvious changes may be made in the form of the punches and construction of the tool without departing from the invention, which, in substance, consists of a tool for interiorly shouldering a cartridgeshell in substantially the manner described, composed of a. mandrel or core for intcriorly supporting the cartridge-shell, and means, substantially such as described, for forcing from the outside of the cartridge-shell the material ,tof which the shell is made to the inside thereof, and there projecting it radially and inwardly, and all so as to make an interior shoulder or ridge.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

In combination, a central core or mandrel, B, a prick punch or punches, H, at one end attached to said mandrel, and a shell, F, surrounding said prick-punches and containing them and said mandrel, and the mandrel and punches constructed and arranged for an inand-out movement in said shell, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set witnesses.

JASON SMITH.

Witnesses:

ALBERT W. BROWN, FRANCES M. BROWN.

my hand in the presence of two subscribing 

